Before learning about the concept of mental health in health class, a misconception that I had was, I believed that mental health was something that is only about the patient themselves. I knew that there were different types of mental health conditions, and that there were multiple symptoms that could impact daily lives. Therefore, I thought mental health was something that individual feel, and the only way to treat it was to get medication or therapy.
However, now I understand that mental health isn’t a condition that is only connected to the patient, but also the person around them. For instance, when a person is starting to get depression, they start to isolate themselves. This causes people who are close to this individual to start questioning their relationships, which could potentially cause them to break apart. This changed my perspective on mental health, since I know that mental health isn’t something that only affects the person that has the mental condition, but also the people around them.
Why and how did you or your group pick the music you presented? What did you learn about picking music?
My group chose this music because its the only one that could fit both the flute style and drum set. At first, we planned on playing “Runaway” by Kanye West, but it sounded really weird on flute, and it was very complicated since it was a rap song. So, in the end, we picked “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars. One thing that I learned about playing music is that the music needs to fit with all of the instruments that are played. For example, a rap song played on flute would sound very different form the original song, due to the fact that it has a different style. The drum set cannot play a very slow and classic song, or it wouldn’t have any differences without it.
What did I learned about myself/my playing after we completed this project? What skills did you gain or reinforce? Do you feel more confident or curious about a specific skill?
During the progress of this project, I learned that different instruments has different styles. For example, my partner Jing Yi was playing the drums while Cici and I were playing the flute. It was a kind of hard combination because the vibe the instruments gives off were different, so there wasn’t a lot of pieces that we could choose from. Flute was mostly classic and softer music, while music with drums are usually more rhythmic and pop like. Due to this, I learned another skill of being able to edit music pieces so that they match. The music sheet that we found for this performance weren’t actually one piece. meaning that the drum and flutes were separate. The flute duet was actually supposed to be a trio with a piano, but we didn’t have one. so one problem that we found when practicing was that some sections of the duets were blank. We solved this challenge by editing the parts so that it sounded more like a whole.
Think of a challenge or set back that you experienced. How did you resolve your setbacks?
One challenge that we had to go through was being able to control the amount of practice time that we have together. Due to the fact that we picked a different music as the first 2 classes, we had less time to work together. To solve this problem, we planned on getting together in our spare time to work on the notes and rhythms so that we don’t need to worry about it in our class time, and have more time to combine with the drum set part.
What were the factors that contributed to your success?
I choose question 4 as one of the evidence of my best thinking because used a more strategic thinking by using a technique my teacher taught me. I tried this because I wanted to use the least amount of steps to get figure 1 to figure 2. I did this by reflecting it over the line of reflection, (y=x). although this wasn’t taught to the whole class, my teacher did talk about it a little bit, so I incorporated it into my thinking.
I choose question as another evidence my my best thinking because
Throughout the unit, I improved the most in being able to use the basic transformations to move shapes on a chart. One thing that I still need to work on is remembering to include the coordinations of points; like the line of reflection, center of rotation and dilations.
Strengths:
Being able to quickly understand the mathematical concept being taught in class and incorporating it into my work
Patient with other people that are having trouble
being able to explain the things that were taught to my peers
Improvments:
being more careful in my reasoning when noting the coordinates of the center of rotations, dilations and the line of reflection
Remember to check my answers for homework before class
In the next unit, I want to be more careful and detailed when explaining my thinking. This is important because it makes it more clear and easier for the reader to understand my work, and it shows that I actually understand the concept.
For my active learner, I am always able to arrive to class on or before time. I also always prepared with all my materials and follow the tasks that we should complete in class.
For my performance, I can continuously use clear and strong tone through out the music piece. I have a clear knowledge of note fingerings and can correctly sightread a new piece.
Improvements:
One thing that I should improve is being able to apply the articulations and dynamics when playing. This not only connects to my homework, but in general. I should obey the articulations and play expressively.
Another thing that I should improve is completing and uploading work before due date.
Action plan:
I would achieve my goal by taking notes of places that I would regularly or unconsciously forget the articulations so that when I see the note, I would remember
when practicing, I would repeatedly play the part where I usually miss so that I have a muscle memory of obeying the dynamics and articulations when I see one.
I would make reminders in my online calendar right after class so when I’m planning to do homework, I can see that there is something that I need to complete for band.
1 tool that I would use continue using to control and be aware of my emotions is the eMood website. It is something that is really helpful, easy and quick, so that I won’t need to spend a lot of time on keeping track. I would also continue using that strategy that I’m using right now; if I notice that I’m not feeling so well, I could use another app/website that can help me relax, and put my thoughts aside. However, I wouldn’t be using the Super Better website, since it doesn’t directly help me reduce stress. Therefore, I would most likely choose another app or activity that could help me. This skill would help me achieve my goal because if I continue this long enough, it would eventually become a habit which would also improve my mental health, learning to control and reduce stress.
Self Care:
According to the University of Rochester, journaling or taking notes about your emotions everyday would can help you manage anxiety, reduce stress, and cope with depression. It is something like a “diary” where you can confess your struggles and fears without judgment. However, keeping track of your emotions is also a personal thing, and it helps your reflect your emotions.
One strength that I bring to math class is being able to give useful feedback to my peers without being negative. For instance, if we were working in groups, and my partners didn’t understand a question, I would try to explain to them as clearly as I can. I wouldn’t put pressure on them, and say that they should already know this concept. Another strength that I bring to math class is being able to clearly explain my thoughts about a question. I can share my thoughts step by step, and also nicely discuss with my partners if we have a disagreement to an answer. A third strength that I bring to math class is being able to be ready before class starts every day. This includes getting arriving to class with my things, copying the learning target into my notebook, and being organized with my notes. An area that I would like to improve on is actively participate in class discussions. I think this could connect to any of the other classes, due to the fact that I get nervous when I am put in the spot light and looses my train of thought. But sometimes, I am comfortable in sharing my questions and ideas to small groups. One specific action that I would take this semester is being able to share my ideas and even take a leading role in small discussions or group projects.
Math Notation and Communication
recent old
over time, my math notebook shows growth in my note-taking ability as I am able to take notes from class and also include some visuals for me to deeper understand the concept.
Understanding Key Concepts
assignments:
This was the summative for the second unit of the whole school year. I showed a strong understanding of the concept that was taught in class, and even included other things that I learned from the teacher that wasn’t pointed out to the whole class. For example, there was a question where it wanted me to find the transformation of the position of the 2 diagonal dots. Instead of translating or reflecting, like what the teacher expected me to do, I used a technique that I learned when I asked for help from the teacher. The answer that I wrote was simply reflect over the line of reflection of x=y.
This other assignment that I was very proud of was the math Go-Kart competition that we had to do in groups. This was something that I really enjoyed and did well at because I had a deep understanding of the concept and meaning behind this game, so I was explaining and helping my partners/components in finishing and understanding the game. Although I did make some mistakes, our group talked it out, and revised it.
Over all, my work shows that I can use the concepts taught in class effectively and remember the things that the teachers explained to me 1vs1. It also shows that I am able to use the understanding and teacher by peers if they have any questions or misunderstandings.
What key message do you want your audience to understand about you as they view your artwork? How did you communicate this message?
I want my audience to understand that although I am an introverted person, I really like to be working or going out with other people. A lot of people say that I am very organized, but I believe that I could be very messy and all over th place sometimes. so, I added shapes that doesn’t really align with each other, but still doesn’t look horrible. My biggest hobby is volleyball. I love playing volleyball. It something that I enjoy doing with my friends. Another thing that I love doing in my spare time is traveling with family or friends. Some other facts about me is that I am Canadian, which coincidently, I also enjoy fall the most out of the 4 seasons; which is why I have a maple leaf in my art piece.
During the creation of your artwork, how did you take risks and experiment in order to effectively express your intended message?
I was really hesitant of how I want the elements to look like. It was either a normal picture, or make the style match the way I drew myself. I tried to experiment by printing some pictures that I wanted, but it didn’t turn out as good. So, I tried sketching over the pictures, which was actually pretty good. It connected me with the message that I wanted to express.
